


Reunited.

by EmmyGreene



Series: Little Things. [17]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Beth Greene Lives, Beth Lives, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, One Shot Collection, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-30 12:39:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10876965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmyGreene/pseuds/EmmyGreene
Summary: Daryl and Beth talk before entering the Hilltop after he escapes from Negan etc





	Reunited.

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to write a happier story than this but after re-watching season 7 I realise Daryl was pretty moody for the second half and a big happy reunion probably wasn't plausible. Hard to say how that might have changed if Beth was really there but because I'm trying to fit these stories in around what really happen.. well this is what came out.
> 
> Anyway, next one will be happier and then I'm giving this series a rest for a while. Thanks for reading.

Something is wrong with him, she saw it the moment she saw him, bashing Fat Joey with that pipe. She sees is again now, he won’t meet her eyes. His stare is fixed to the ground, he’s shying away from physical contact.

‘Daryl, you alright?’ she asks.

Jesus left them out here, just outside the Hilltop so he could go in and explain, tell them he found Beth on the road and his plan to locate Negan’s compound became a rescue mission. They need to hide Daryl for a while, until they can think of a more suitable arrangement.

He doesn’t even look up at her.

‘Ya shouldn’t have been there’ he mutters.

She nods, ‘I know. I should have known you didn’t need me to rescue you.’

‘Wasn’t smart. Wasn’t safe.’ He says.

‘I weighed up the risks and thought it was worth it’ she said trying to sound light.

He’d been treated like crap there, she knew that. She realised now it was foolish to think he’d just bounce back to the way things had been before he was taken. This was Daryl after all, serious, brooding, cranky Daryl who took everything too seriously and blamed himself for too much.

‘Wasn’t’’ he said quietly.

‘Daryl’ she says his name softly and tries to reach for his hand, he snatches it away.

‘Don’t’’ he says. She looks at him, really looks at him and sees something close to fear over his eyes and worse than that, his slumping shoulders, pained expression and she senses they’ll end up having a fight if she doesn’t do something. So despite his reluctance, she throws her arms around him.

‘Don’t you dare push me away Daryl Dixon’ she says, angrily as she holds him tightly ‘I love you and you love me and even if you don’t feel very lovable right now I am not letting you fall back into that self loathing angry man. You are better than that.’ He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t return her hold but he doesn’t push her away either.

She holds on longer than she should, until finally he rests his head on her shoulder. It’s small, but its a start.

‘Maggie’s in there’ she says ‘the baby is fine. Sasha and Enid are up here too.’

He nods lightly against her. He smells terrible and she knows that in the short time they’ve been apart a lot has happened. He’s going to take a while to come good again. She understands that, she took her time as well. He was there for her though, always and she’ll return the favour, gladly.

This is love, she thinks. Not candlelight dinners and crazy sex or poetry and flowers but this, holding on to someone for dear life and knowing you’ll do everything in your power to make them better again.

Jesus opens the gate then and she sees him smile when he notices them. She winks at him over Daryl’s shoulder.

‘Come on in’ he calls out to them.

She steps back from Daryl and takes his hand ‘C’mon’ she says ‘you really need a shower before you see anyone else.’

He doesn’t speak but he squeezes her hand and follows closely behind her.


End file.
